I'm probably in the minority in that I wasn't 100% sold on this first scene that shared Logan and Veronica. Don't get me wrong, I loved how Logan was so going for defense of her and the little secret looks and smiles between them were too adorable for words. It's just that the whole blocks and grilled cheese and stuff, the dialogue there just didn't work for me. It was just off. I actually had read the sides of that way, way back when and didn't quite get it then. I was hoping that watching the scene, it would work better. Upon watching it on the UPN site and again last night, nope, it was just weird. I mean, I get what was being said and all that, it just didn't work for me.

But even with that criticism, it still did have many a swoon-worthy LoVe moment. The looks he gave her, the way she casually took his knife (one of many smaller, intimate moments in the episode), the continued looks and smiles, were all deliciously wonderful.

Scene Two: A Hop, Skip and Jump to LoVe

Last week there was a lot of discussion about the fact that Logan seemed more into Veronica than she was into him. I think that judging from the way Veronica was just as all over him as he was her in the bathroom scene, they are about on par now. Even moreso, he was the one who was able to return to reality and note other things, while it seemed like Veronica just wanted to get it ON!

Little things in this scene I loved. Well, I suppose I'll just get the obvious out of the way. HOT! Yes, very, very hot makeouting-age, the way they were groping and pulling and tugging at each other, how he swept her up onto that counter and the way their bodies were so snug. YOWZA!!! These two really do have some intense chemistry going on, now don't they? And speaking of all of that hot, I loved how when Logan first pulled away, when Veronica was explaining about the barricading, out of order sign, her voice was all breathless and giddy. And Veronica, being quite frankly used to things of an illicit nature, keeping secrets, etc. didn't seem even remotely fazed by their situation. I like that Logan was.

Yeah, he turned it into "boy ... in a girl's bathroom is wrong," but the subtext when he said it was "wrong," was that he just thought hiding was wrong and I think that came from THE respect that he does have for Veronica. However, typical guy, once she added the "so wrong it's right" and angled for another kiss, he just muttered that "yes" in response into her mouth as he kissed her again. Hormones have such powerful sway. Especially in teenage boys.

Another small thing: I loved, loved, loved how Veronica kept tugging on Logan's shirt from beginning to end of the scene. It was just such a girly, intimate, possessive-he's-mine kinda thing, but not in a scary, obsessive-he's-mine kinda thing. I loved it.

Moving along, once the decision had been made to cut the make-out session short, did anyone else catch Logan's little flip-kick he did after he said "time travel isn't possible?" At first, I just immediately thought that it was Jason's ode to Logan's ambiguously gay moment of the week (as he tends to have at least one per episode). Then I wondered if it was a throwback to Logan's earlier reference to Brigadoon (from "You Think You Know Somebody") -- which is a musical about time travel to a loose degree. And then when Veronica hopped off of the camera, she did this kewpie-doll "oh!" expression that then reminded me of Reefer Madness and I had a momentary wonder if Logan and Veronica were going to launch into a musical number. Now that alone would have been worth just about every other scene on television this year!

Finally, the tail-end of the scene. Did anyone else kinda get the idea that Veronica was showing off just a tad bit for Logan when she whipped out the tardy slips? And then, sigh, when she was against the door and he kinda put his arm over her head, leaning towards her and then double, sigh, the physics talk and the stolen kisses, go to kiss, pause, talk, slightly laugh, kiss, go to kiss, pause, talk, slightly laugh, kiss, go to kiss, pause, talk, slightly laugh, go to kiss, Veronica pushes him away. It was all just so cute and flirty and giddy and adorable and left me with the biggest smile on my face.

Scene Three: Let's Take a Ride

It was very short, but I absolutely loved, loved, LOVED when Logan picked her up from the junkyard place. I saw Veronica walking away from Weevil on the phone and the familiar yellow truck drove by and I was like squeeing inside, "it's Logan!" And then when she just casually opened the door and hopped in while continuing the talk on the phone, I just got all giddy because as I stated above it was one of those little, intimate things. She just opened the door and got in, all business like she belongs there. It was just such a small thing, but it was one of the things that showed me that their relationship is more than just hot hormones and lust.

Scene Four: When the Cat is Away, the Mice Will Play

What I liked best about this scene was actually not the macking, but the overall tenor of the scene (before Aaron showed up), they were both just so happy and teen-age-y. It is one of the few times we've seen them not really dealing with the weight of grown-up things and the dark that lurks in the corners that neither should be dealing with at all, and yet, so often are. The exchange about the "wuv you beary much", "I want my bear won by a show of ring-tossing-ability" was just so endearing in that I think that IS truly something they both want. However, right now they do have to settle for the secret nature of things because of the weight of grown-up things and the dark that lurks in the corners that they DO have to deal with. And that just sucks.

On a lighter note, I have to ask. Am I the only one who is hoping that someday, sometime down the road we see either (a) Veronica with a bear that has a tee-shirt that reads "I wuv you beary much" and/or (b) Logan demonstrating his ring-tossing abilities? Just someday.

Okay, yeah and the kissing was hot. LOL! But, but, but, it wasn't about the kissing in this scene for me. It was that they were so happy. Even as they were talking about some of the weighty things (Lynn's death, the weirdness of a relationship between them), they were just content to be in one another's company and I truly enjoyed that. And unlike in the first scene, I really liked the dialogue here and -- but like the first scene -- the little touches. The point of reference to the bong goes back to the Pilot (as a lot of things in this episode did); and then Logan's almost sweet snarking on Aaron filling it with seawater. We had the afore-mentioned beary/ring-tossing and then when Aaron showed up, the dialogue about "your dad, the star of Breaking Point and Beyond the Breaking Point. Nice little touch that for Logan, Aaron is just dad, but for Veronica, he IS one of the world's most famous movie stars. For me, it was even funnier, because of my reaction to Aaron walking in and their reaction. Logan was leaning against the couch, and I said outloud "Oh My God! How embarrassing!" and then Logan said, "Oh my God!" and I squeed!! That whole little section there was so real and uncomfortable and hysterical.

One small, well not complaint, but non-giddy observation: Why did Veronica look so annoyed when she talked about having lipstick on her teeth? As she caught it and then walked to the bathroom, she looked almost pissed and I wasn't sure what the subtext there was. I'm not sure why she seemed so bugged, embarrassed I get, but why so annoyed?

Finally, when Dick and Beav showed up, I felt bad for both Logan and Veronica. Logan clearly did not want to be with them, but wanted to be with Veronica, still he was trying to respect Veronica's wishes of keeping it quiet. And Veronica, I think for the first time, realized just how much it sucked keeping it quiet was gonna be. How much do you know she wanted to walk right out there and throw some snark Dick and Beav's way? But because of her own rules she couldn't.

As for Aaron, sick, twisted, multiple personality boy. If we hadn't seen all of his pyschosis earlier in the season, he would've given Keith a good race for the running of best dad in Neptune in this episode. He was understanding and kinda sweet about the LoVe make-out; and then he helped Logan out in covering up for Veronica, and with that final look to Logan, showed that he didn't approve of him keeping it secret, showing respect for Veronica, but respect for his son by not busting him. And he was sweet and not in your face when he handed Veronica her purse and offered her the ride home. Which leads us to ...

Scene Five Let's Take a Ride, Part Deux

Again, if we hadn't had such ample evidence of Aaron's not-so-father-knows-best parental skills I would have just thought what a wonderful father Aaron was. It was obviously an awkward situation, but Aaron acted the part of the understanding, concerned father so well -- well, gee, it's no wonder he has an Oscar! He touched all of the right notes and so even though it was coming from Aaron, it was nice hearing someone point out what we've been seeing. Logan was a good kid before Lilly died, that fucked him up and he's been spiraling out of control since, but as Veronica stated, he is "coming to terms." And we've seen that over the course of the season, but especially since he's allowed Veronica back into his life. We have seen him happier, a lot happier in the last couple of episodes. And not just with Veronica, but overall. And, I think it should be noted, that we are actually seeing the same thing with Veronica.

Watch the car scene in the beginning, the cellphone classroom/pick-up scene, the Duncan discussion with Keith * and even the small scene where she talked to the teacher about recycling. We've certainly seen chipper Veronica before, but there's always been a slightly brittle quality, that wasn't there in these scenes. (Kudos to Kristen for that touch.) There was a lightness about Veronica's overall attitude, the same as with Logan. The bottom-line is that whatever fuck-ups have happened between these two, they are damn sure making each other happy now and that has got to be worth something in this world.

And may I just kiss the musical director for the choice of beginning the scene with me and you/and a dog named Boo! Talk about racheting up the absurd-quotient to the zenith. Brilliant.

* Now, about that Keith/Veronica discussion about Keith, was anyone else rather surprised at how disparagingly Keith spoke about Duncan? Obviously, Keith knows that they broke up, but I never got the impression that he knew how Donut had dumped Veronica. Veronica seems to have kept the details of her horror at highschool from her dad as much as she could. So, I was quite surprised at how belittling of Donut, Keith spoke.

Scene Six: Episode 1 vs. Episode 20 - A Smash to a Tap

Another small scene, but another gem. Building on the tone of happiness that had been escalating in just about every scene between the two, we got our climax, so to speak, here. Now, I know I wasn't the only person who thought that Logan was just about ready to out them right then and there. All sitting on her car and flirting and googly-eyes and awww! And that was the surface which I do want to discuss before digging deeper. The overall feel of this scene was just unadulerated happiness (with, of course -- this IS Veronica Mars -- the shadow about her parents). Logan picking her car up for her (okay, having his dad's driver pick her car up for her), throwing her the keys, her oh so I'm digging but not coming out and saying I'm digging for info about the upcoming weekend, him almost bashfully admitting he bailed on the guys, and then asking her out for "what's the word? a date," her smiling acceptance. Just pure bliss.

And then we get to the subtext. First we had him getting her attention and then her turning around to see him sitting on the hood of her car. In the pilot, Wallace got her attention and she turned around to see Logan laying on the hood of her car. In the pilot, Logan talked about his daddy taking away his car. Here, Logan talked about his daddy's driver picking up her car. And, of course, the piece de resistance, in the Pilot, Logan smashed her headlights in with a tire iron, here he just gently tapped them with his bent fingers.

Ah, subtext. I love this show.

Scene Seven: The Irony Just Kills

First of all, I really wasn't impressed all that much with the actor playing Tad and I thought that his last strangled/screamed "Veronica Mars" was really bad -- even worse than Teddy Dunn could have managed. Now that my own personal snark is out of the way, onto the scene. I really, really did not want Veronica to let him down, so I was glad that she didn't, even if I wasn't glad with why she didn't do it (the Logan reveal). The guy was just a total jerkbag. I mean, complete and utter jerkbag. Sick, sick fuck. Much hate for that character.

Okay, hold on, let me back up a bit to the VMVO intro of the scene. Proof positive why I love this show, they not only understand irony, they use it well. The very reason that Veronica was there so early before anyone else and had the opportunity to question Tad and thus get that answer from him is because she was dropping a paper off early because she was cutting school to go galivanting Catalina-style with Logan. The irony just kills.

As did this scene to my heart. I knew it was coming. I was completely spoiled, but when Tad said "Logan Echolls" the look on Veronica's face. It was such an interesting acting choice by Kristen, because there was shock and pain, but once we left the closeness of her face, we just got her voice and body language and there was this almost blankness. Like the shell that had been cracking was being reassembled right before our eyes.

Scene Eight:I Think I Could Love Her, Crimson and Clover

I know that Veronica is the star of the show, the main character and all that jazz. I know that Veronica was raped and it was horrible and she just found out that Logan had some hand in it. I know this intellectually. But, but, but -- I've been living with the knowledge that Veronica was raped from episode one. And I was spoiled as to knowing that Veronica found out it was Logan who supplied the GHB so maybe that is why my reaction was two seconds of "poor Veronica," my heart breaking for her and then once it shot to Logan on that boat alone and the strums and then lyrics of Crimson and Clover began playing, I jumped into full gear of "poor Logan" and honestly, my heart hasn't stopped repeating that since. I've had a few "poor Veronica's" still thrown in, but my poor baby, Logan! Everything about that scene, the way it was shot, the sun setting, Logan staring out, looking at his watch, staring out, walking over to the nice meal he had set up, the champagne, amidst the melting ice, opening it, taking a swig, sitting down in such schumpy despair and all the while we heard ...

Ah, now I don't hardly know her But I think I could love her Crimson and clover

Yeah, my, my such a sweet thing I wanna do everything What a beautiful feeling

Poor Logan.

However, on the bright side, the set-up of that scene actually gave me hope that things will turn out just fine for our erstwhile heroine and her rogue-ish semi-bad boy. Why? Because that scene was SO over the top in trying to drum up the response of "poor Logan." I mean, how could you not watch that scene and not feel for him? You can't. Unless you have a heart of stone. And so, Rob Thomas is NOT going to take such care in building up sympathy for a guy that Veronica, his show's heroine, is done with, over with, kaput, finished, the end. So the pain actually gave me hope.

Random thoughts on the show in general that aren't so LoVe-related:

I totally was in love with the Keith/Alicia ballrooom scene. And I'm so glad that Veronica showed some maturity in regards to the whole parental situation there. And then the show had to turn on a dime and be so brilliant by bringing up Wallace bringing that plant to Kane Software. Just brilliant. Veronica's lies and machinations do tend to bite her in the ass at times, don't they?

I know that Wallace wasn't in this episode much, but once again, he was used so well. I really didn't have any impression of Wallace/Percy from the first couple of episodes, but in the last four or five, he's really come into his own in my opinion. He does the little things so well, like the whole helping Veronica with the bump/nudge thing. It was just like clockwork. These two work so effectively as best friends. They are so believable and I love that. And damn, I so want to see some Wallace/Logan scenes. I'm just chomping at the bit for those, but I'm thinking we may have to wind up waiting until next season at this rate. Sigh.

The case/mystery of the week would have been so-so were it not for the fact that (a) the actress playing Carmen did a great job creating that character and (b) how it not only tied into the whole rape story, but (c) how it brought Weevil into it by use of his former crush and then tied that into the pilot of hanging Wallace out on the flagpole, by now hanging Tad out to dry.

I actually came to your journal to look for the first part of your fic (posted at veronicamarsfic) and I got to read this lovely recap! First I love that you did an analysis of every LoVe scene, since I've watched those scenes at least five times each by now (and I've only seen the episode once completely. I am pathetic fangirl :D). I love that you brought about all the parallels between this episode and the pilot. I agree with you on all the cuteness factors -- her tugging his shirt was so adorable!

At first, I just immediately thought that it was Jason's ode to Logan's ambiguously gay moment of the week (as he tends to have at least one per episode)

I seriously laughed so hard at this part of your post! You have to point out some more of these "ambiguously gay moments" :) But I too noticed how Veronica seemed to get all bouncy after that.

This comment is getting so long! So I'll end it with thoughts on the final scene! I wasn't spoiled (although just speculation would lead me to believe Logan had a part to play in the GHB part of the rape), but I felt so bad for Logan at that point. How can you not? He is so smitten with Veronica (and it seems more than she is with him) and it is so hard to not feel bad for him. Yeah he is a huge jerk for distributing the GHB, but I feel like he's changed a lot since then. Although I would understand why it would be hard for Veronica to accept.

Oh wow, this comment was almost as long as your original post. And I'm just a little lurker. I guess I'll go find that fic I was looking for. :)

Thank you so much for responding. I really enjoyed reading your comments. Not too long at all.

Hmm, as for the gay moments -- well, we had another skip in ATttD, and then in HD, we had cheerleader call-out after the fire drill. There was the Brigadoon reference in YTYKS. When I get all the eps, I'm totally gonna look for the Ambiguously Gay Logan Moment Courtesy of Jason in each episode.